Men's squad for World T20 confirmed

15 countries announce their squads for the 2014 edition

West Indies retains 12 players from the side that won the title in 2012; Bangladesh names six players who will feature in their fifth successive ICC World Twenty20 tournament

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced that 15 of the 16 men’s squads for next month’s ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 have been confirmed.

Bangladesh will square off against Afghanistan in the tournament opener in Mirpur on 16 February, while former champions India and Pakistan will go head to head in the first match of the Super 10 stage at the same venue on 21 March. The final will be played in Mirpur on 6 April, while Chittagong and Sylhet are the other two venues that will be used for the tournament.

The cut-off date for the submission of 15-player squads was 16 February and all but Zimbabwe submitted their squads to the ICC before the deadline. Zimbabwe requested an extension, which was accepted by the ICC.

The cut-off date for 14-member women’s squads is 23 February. The 10-team ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 will start in Sylhet on 23 March, with the semi-finals and final to be held on the same day and at the same venue as the men’s.

Defending champion West Indies has retained 12 players who were members of the side that defeated Sri Lanka by 36 runs in Colombo to win the 2012 event. The three newcomers are Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Fletcher and Krishmar Santokie, who have replaced the experienced but injured trio of Darren Bravo, Fidel Edwards and Kieron Pollard.

India has retained three players who were members of the side that defeated Pakistan by five runs in the inaugural event in Johannesburg in 2007. These players are captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh. However, six players from the 2012 event will return to Bangladesh as India aims to reclaim the title, namely Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj.

Pakistan’s side includes seven players from the squad that lifted the trophy at Lord’s in 2009. These players are Ahmed Shahzad, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul.

England has retained Stuart Broad, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, James Tredwell and Luke Wright from the side that defeated Australia by seven wickets in Barbados in 2010.

Host Bangladesh could be the most experienced side going into the tournament as it includes as many as six players who also played in the first event in South Africa almost seven years ago. These players are captain Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.

George Bailey will lead Australia’s charge to become only the third country after India and the West Indies to win all the three ICC majors. The squad includes eight players from the 2012 tournament (Bailey, Daniel Christian, Brad Hogg, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson and Cameron White), while five of them (Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Warner, Watson and White) featured in the final in Barbados in 2010.

Ireland has retained 13 players from the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2013, which it won after defeating Afghanistan by 68 runs at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The only two changes are Andrew Poynter and Craig Young replacing John Mooney and the retired Trent Johnston.

Press Releases

India retains 2nd position on Test rankings

Aus need a draw against SA to overtake India before April 1

India has retained its second position on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings following the Wellington Test, which ended in a draw to give New Zealand a 1-0 series win, but the series result has made Australia’s task of finishing ahead of India on the table before the 1 April cut-off date slightly easier.

India has slipped from 117 ratings points to 112 ratings points, and is ahead of Australia by just one ratings point. This means Australia, which leads South Africa 1-0 in the three-Test series, now needs minimum of a draw in the series to move ahead of India.

If Australia wins the series 1-0, it will rise to 115 ratings points, whereas a 2-0 win will put it on 116 ratings points.

In contrast, if South Africa bounces back and wins the next two Tests, then it will not only retain its pre-series rating of 133 ratings points, but Australia will also remain behind India on 110 ratings points, thereby handing Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side second position at the 1 April cut-off date.

South Africa is already guaranteed the number-one position at the 1 April cut-off date and, as such, will retain the mace and will also collect a cheque of US$450,000, while the side that finishes second will pocket US$350,000, and US$250,000 will go to the third-ranked side. England will collect US$150,000 as it will finish fourth at the 1 April cut-off date.

Meanwhile, New Zealand has gained five ratings points following its 1-0 series win over India. It has now joined the West Indies on 87 ratings points. However, it is ranked above the West Indies when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings table